Beautiful blend of Hindu and Muslim (Mughul) architecture which is located in Karachi. This was built in 1927 as a summer resort by Hindu businessman whose wife had been advised to live near the sea by her doctors. Later it was bought by miss Fatima Jinnah, sister of the Quaid-e-Azam. The government bought this property from the trustees in the 90's and restored it to its glory. It has large exhibition area on the ground floor where works of contemporary artists as well as classic works of art by the masters are exhibited from time to time. The palace has exhibitions of paintings, artifacts, private collections of Talpurs and others, with “JEWEL IN THE CROWN” being the best exhibit so far, which ran for more than 1 year, showcasing history of Karachi under the Raj (British Empire).
Mohatta could enjoy this building for only about two decades before independence of Pakistan and he left Karachi for India. He built the Palace in the tradition of stone palaces in Rajasthan, using pink Jodhpur stone in combination with the local yellow stone from Gizri
What many do not know about the Mohatta Palace is the secret underground tunnel that leads from the grounds of the palace all the way to a subterranean Hindu temple less than a kilometer away. This tunnel was apparently built to provide a safe passage for the Hindu wife of Shivratan Chandratan Mohatta to go for her daily worship. The tunnel still exists today, though over time it has caved in, and the entrance is blocked from both ends.
Mohatta palace is an elaborate building with intricate details which are present in almost every portion of this magnificent building. These are in the form of carvings. The delicate designs include bird’s wings in the large windows, situated in the top right and left corners of the arches. There are also peacock motifs in the stonework and they are found around each of the nine domes. Also there has been a lot of use of the scallop shape in upwards and downward positions around the lower areas, in the form of a strip going around the building and on top of the first and second floor windows that protrude outwards. There are also many floral motifs around the surrounding wall, between each scallop, such as marigolds. Hibiscus flowers too are found lightly carved between rectangular shapes underneath all the windows, which are on the sides of the doorways.
In 1995 it was purchased by the Government of Sindh for its conversion into a Museum devoted to the arts of Pakistan. As a result of the interest taken by the Government of Sindh who took over the ownership of the property and appointed an independent board of trustees headed by the Governor, to formulate recommendations on how best to adapt and use the palace. The trust was established to manage the property and ensure that it would not be sold or utilized for commercial or any other purpose other than that stipulated in the trust deed. Funds for the acquisition of collections for the museum and the construction of an extension will be raised by the trustees through private and public grants, donations and other fund raising activities. The Museum formally opened in 1999. Behind the building can be found a small collection of "English" statues such as Queen Victoria, soldiers of the Raj.
All exhibitions at Mohatta Palace are put up for a period of 2 years to 2.5 years. The exhibition that is currently on display at the Mohatta Palace, The Tale of the Tile, is near its end, and the museum is currently in the process preparations for the next exhibition, which will probably features different textiles of Pakistan
Click here for photos of Mohatta Palace
Mohatta could enjoy this building for only about two decades before independence of Pakistan and he left Karachi for India. He built the Palace in the tradition of stone palaces in Rajasthan, using pink Jodhpur stone in combination with the local yellow stone from Gizri
What many do not know about the Mohatta Palace is the secret underground tunnel that leads from the grounds of the palace all the way to a subterranean Hindu temple less than a kilometer away. This tunnel was apparently built to provide a safe passage for the Hindu wife of Shivratan Chandratan Mohatta to go for her daily worship. The tunnel still exists today, though over time it has caved in, and the entrance is blocked from both ends.
Mohatta palace is an elaborate building with intricate details which are present in almost every portion of this magnificent building. These are in the form of carvings. The delicate designs include bird’s wings in the large windows, situated in the top right and left corners of the arches. There are also peacock motifs in the stonework and they are found around each of the nine domes. Also there has been a lot of use of the scallop shape in upwards and downward positions around the lower areas, in the form of a strip going around the building and on top of the first and second floor windows that protrude outwards. There are also many floral motifs around the surrounding wall, between each scallop, such as marigolds. Hibiscus flowers too are found lightly carved between rectangular shapes underneath all the windows, which are on the sides of the doorways.
In 1995 it was purchased by the Government of Sindh for its conversion into a Museum devoted to the arts of Pakistan. As a result of the interest taken by the Government of Sindh who took over the ownership of the property and appointed an independent board of trustees headed by the Governor, to formulate recommendations on how best to adapt and use the palace. The trust was established to manage the property and ensure that it would not be sold or utilized for commercial or any other purpose other than that stipulated in the trust deed. Funds for the acquisition of collections for the museum and the construction of an extension will be raised by the trustees through private and public grants, donations and other fund raising activities. The Museum formally opened in 1999. Behind the building can be found a small collection of "English" statues such as Queen Victoria, soldiers of the Raj.
All exhibitions at Mohatta Palace are put up for a period of 2 years to 2.5 years. The exhibition that is currently on display at the Mohatta Palace, The Tale of the Tile, is near its end, and the museum is currently in the process preparations for the next exhibition, which will probably features different textiles of Pakistan
Click here for photos of Mohatta Palace